... to be as wholly lost to me as the porter and his floating dip.

[shootingstar]

(He is wandering about in his hotel at night looking for the porter because he is somewhat drunk and confused.)
. . .
Five, six, seven flights I climbed, and still there was no porter. I began to be weary of the job. and reflecting that I was now close to my own room, decided I should go to bed. Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen flights I mounted; and my open door (. . . of his room; he left the door of his room open when he was looking for the porter to give him some directions) seemed to be as wholly lost to me as the porter and his floating dip. I remembered that the house stood but six stories at its highest point . . .
(R.L. Stevenson, The Wrecker, Chapter II, Roussillon Wine)

What does "floating dip" mean there?

 

[Barque]

I'm puzzled too.

Was there any reference earlier to the porter bowing a lot? Or being light on his feet or moving around sounlessly?

 

[White Hat]

The word 'dip' also has the following meaning: 'a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow'.

 

[White Hat]

There is a Russian version of the book, in which 'floating dip' is rendered as 'ночник'. The term means one of the following: 'night light', 'bedside lamp', 'rush candle', 'floating light', 'rush light', 'watch candle', or 'watch light'. In fact, I'd suggest the threadstarter consult a German translation of the book, too.

 

[Rover_KE]

shootingstar, I see you posted the same thread here.

Please don't post the same question to different forums simultaneously. Post on one forum only, wait for responses and then, only if you are disappointed with/confused by the responses (or there aren't any), post on another forum and include a link to the first forum thread.

(emsr2d2)

 

[probus]

To @White Hat's very useful reply, I would add that although dip may have been used in English when Stevenson was writing it is now archaic if not obsolete.